Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor believes his team-mate and best pal Ashley Young has rightfully earned his place in the Professional Footballers' Association's Premier League Team of the Year.

Villa's wing wizard Young was included in the final team announced at a glittering awards ceremony in London on Monday night for his contribution this season to Martin O'Neill's side as they chase that elusive fifth place in the Premier League and a potential spot in the Uefa Cup next season.

Agbonlahor and Young have become good friends both on and off the field and both were recently nominated in the shortlist for the PFA's Young Player of the Year award which eventually went to Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas with Manchester United's free-scoring winger Ronaldo winning the overall PFA Player of the Year and the Fans' Player of the Year awards.

Agbonlahor said Young deserved to be recognised for his contributions for Villa this season and in particular for his dead-ball expertise which has seen him assist in 17 of Villa's 69 Barclays Premier League goals so far this season.

Only Fabregas, who also made the PFA XI, has recorded more assists while only Ronaldo has scored more free-kicks.

Agbonlahor said: "Ash has probably been the best set-piece taker in the league and deserves to be up there with those top players.

"I am really pleased for him. He's done well all season and his set-pieces have been outstanding. He's probably been the best set-piece taker in the league and he deserves all the recognition.

"I get on really well with Ash and that helps on the pitch as well. It's not just us two, quite a few of the players are close and the team spirit is close."

Agbonlahor, who scored his 11th goal of the season at Everton on Sunday and Young who has notched up seven are both now waiting to see if they will once again make it into England coach Fabio Capello's thinking ahead of summer friendly matches against the USA and Trinidad.

Agbonlahor, who joined Villa as a schoolboy through the club's youth academy and who hails from Erdington in Birmingham, said: "Ashley has done so well all season.

"He is even getting two players put on him to mark him now and the opposition are having to put more in midfield to try and combat the likes of ash.

"I still think it is definitely possible that we can finish fifth. We have managed to get results in games when in previous seasons we might have been beaten."

* Agbonlahor has been named in the England Under-21 squad for the friendly against Wales at Wrexham's Racecourse Ground on on May 15.

Birmingham City's Fabrice Muamba, Michael Kightly of Wolverhampton Wanderers and Coventry City's former Walsall duo Scott Dann and Danny Fox are also in the squad.